{"id":625011,"date":"2026-09-07T12:44:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T17:44:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/?p=625011"},"modified":"2026-09-10T13:08:27","modified_gmt":"2026-09-10T18:08:27","slug":"2026-photo-of-the-year-finalists","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/2026-photo-of-the-year-finalists\/","title":{"rendered":"2026 Photo of the Year finalists"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Sept. 10, 202<\/em>6<\/p>\n\n\n\n

MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 The National Scholastic Press Association has named 468 finalists in its popular Individual Awards competition.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The winners will be announced at the NSPA Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention <\/a>in Orlando.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After the winners are announced on Nov. 21, a gallery of the winners and honorable mentions will be shared on this website allowing student journalists and advisers to see all of the entries recognized in the competition. Slide shows featuring the winners will also be available for classroom use.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Congratulations to the finalists in the following Photo of the Year contests \u2014<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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News Photo
<\/a>Feature Photo
<\/a>Sports Game\/Action Photo
<\/a>Sports Feature Photo
<\/a>Environmental Portrait<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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\"\"<\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Individual Award finalists<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Broadcast Story of the Year<\/a>
Cartoon of the Year<\/a>
Design of the Year<\/a>
Digital Story of the Year<\/a>
Photo of the Year<\/a>
Story of the Year<\/a>
Best Use of Social Media<\/a>
Portfolio of the Year<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

\n\n\n\n
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News Photo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

listed by school in alpha order<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gianna Bellinfantie<\/strong>
The Aerie
Atascocita High School, Humble, Texas
Student Life<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Melanie Pedersen<\/strong>
Eastside
Cherry Hill High School East, Cherry Hill, New Jersey
No Kings Protest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Cooper Jones<\/strong>
Odyssey Media Group
Clarke Central High School, Athens, Georgia
ICE Out Walkout<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kate Jensen<\/strong>
Pioneer
Kirkwood High School, Kirkwood, Missouri
ICE Protest<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Vincent Hsiao<\/strong>
Panorama
Ladue Horton Watkins High School, St. Louis, Missouri
Through the Gate<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kinley Gigous<\/strong>
The Free Press
Lawrence Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
ICE Walkout<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Lizeth Rubi<\/strong>
The Lion
McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
Halloween Helper<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Zaid Naqvi<\/strong>
El Estoque
Monta Vista High School, Cupertino, California
Students Walk Out in Protest Against ICE<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josie Mangine<\/strong>
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Cheering for Justice<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Simon Vaang<\/strong>
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Sea of Symbols<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
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Feature Photo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

listed by school in alpha order<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sophia Puzon<\/strong>
The Crimson
Cypress Woods High School, Cypress, Texas
Feel the Beat<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jaylen Patel<\/strong>
Jabberwokk
Darlington School, Rome, Georgia
Confident Climber<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Colin Wehrle<\/strong>
West Side Story
Iowa City West High, Iowa City, Iowa
Dragon Dance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sydney Ortiz<\/strong>
The Pride
Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas
Tug-of-War<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nathan Kramer<\/strong>
The Talon
Lawrence Free State High School, Lawrence, Kansas
Firestarter Dance<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Marilyn Rutschman<\/strong>
The Roar
Leander High School, Leander, Texas
Water<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Riley Aguillard<\/strong>
The Lion
McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
Showin\u2019 Senior Spirit<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Gianna Fusco<\/strong>
Oviedo Now
Oviedo High School, Oviedo, Florida
Drum Major<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brennan Scott<\/strong>
South Paw
Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Missouri
Focused Musician<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laine Edwards<\/strong>
Legend
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Chalk One Up<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
\n

Sports Game\/Action Photo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

listed by school in alpha order<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Max Heinemann<\/strong>
The Image
Dos Pueblos High School, Goleta, California
5 Meter Master<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Natalie Johnson<\/strong>
Whigrean
Edina High School, Edina, Minnesota
Eye on the Ball<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ezra Victor<\/strong>
The Antler
Minnehaha Academy Upper School, Minneapolis, Minnesota
Airborne<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Huynh<\/strong>
WordsWorth
Moorestown Friends School, Moorestown, New Jersey
Faculty Musical Chairs<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Noemy Melchor<\/strong>
The Torch
Orange Glen High School, Escondido, California
Tag\u2013You\u2019re It<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Finley Feagans<\/strong>
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Hooped Rivalry<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Stella Mages<\/strong>
Brickhouse
Shawnee Mission North High School, Overland Park, Kansas
Peters Long Jump<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Maddi Roof<\/strong>
The Lair
Shawnee Mission Northwest High School, Shawnee, Kansas
Off the Block<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jacob Saldana<\/strong>
Shield
Thomas Downey High School, Modesto, California
Across the Sky<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Laine Edwards<\/strong>
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Sand Storm<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
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Sports Feature Photo<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

listed by school in alpha order<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amelia Raziq<\/strong>
FHNtoday
Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
Upset Celebration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tricia Darcy<\/strong>
The Pride
Kingwood Park High School, Kingwood, Texas
Hard Landing<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Braden Jones<\/strong>
Madisonian
Madison High School, Rexburg, Idaho
And the Juniors Win!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Miranda LaFratte<\/strong>
The Lion
McKinney High School, McKinney, Texas
A Roaring Lion<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Mayer<\/strong>
The Northmen’s Log
Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Missouri
Basketball Scream<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Josie Mangine<\/strong>
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
1 V 1<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Faith Sanchez<\/strong>
Shield
Thomas Downey High School, Modesto, California
Almost There!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kaya Steele<\/strong>
Tribal Tribune
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
The Final Game<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Jake Strelitz<\/strong>
El Paisano
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
Celebration<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Amir Torns<\/strong>
El Paisano
Westlake High School, Austin, Texas
The Finish Line<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
\n
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Environmental Portrait<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

listed by school in alpha order<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emma Kull<\/strong>
FHNtoday
Francis Howell Central High School, Cottleville, Missouri
The Adviser<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Will Olenick<\/strong>
The Dispatch
James Bowie High School, Austin, Texas
New Horizons<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Brian Mayer<\/strong>
Cambia
Oak Park High School, Kansas City, Missouri
Improv Actor<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Aidan Patterson<\/strong>
South Paw
Park Hill South High School, Riverside, Missouri
Tinkering With Time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Katie Mathews<\/strong>
Replay
Rouse High School, Leander, Texas
Slick Sleight Secrets<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellie Moilanen<\/strong>
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Gracie Black<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ellie Moilanen<\/strong>
Hauberk
Shawnee Mission East High School, Prairie Village, Kansas
Hanifa Gul Muhammad<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sacha Twemlow<\/strong>
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
The Big Picture<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Asha Reynolds-Stewart<\/strong>
U-High Midway
University of Chicago Laboratory High School, Chicago, Illinois
Spectacular Shoes<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Emily Pastva<\/strong>
Legend
Wando High School, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
She\u2019s a Rainbow<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Sept. 10, 2026 MINNEAPOLIS \u2014 The National Scholastic Press Association has named 468 finalists in its popular Individual Awards competition. The winners will be announced at the NSPA Awards Ceremony on Saturday, Nov. 21, at the Fall National High School Journalism Convention in Orlando. After the winners are announced on Nov. 21, a gallery of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625011"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=625011"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625011\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":625092,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/625011\/revisions\/625092"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=625011"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=625011"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/studentpress.org\/nspa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=625011"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}